SINGLE-minded Matt McGuire had one ambition as he set out on the Open road at Royal Lytham and St Anne's today.

The 30-year-old, whose support team includes former England footballer Stuart Pearce, would dearly love to be playing at the weekend, something he failed to achieve in his only other appearance in the championship at Royal Birkdale three years ago.

Coventry-based McGuire qualified at Hillside on Monday, holing his second shot for an eagle at the 17th on his way to a second round 67.

And having come through that boot-quaking ordeal he believes his game is in sufficiently good shape to see him through the halfway cut.

"I think I'm peaking at the right time," said McGuire. "I'm happy with all aspects of my game and am really looking forward to getting started.

"When I played at Birkdale in '98 I was so pleased to be there that I just intended to enjoy myself - anything else was going to be a bonus.

"But I've done the enjoying myself bit and this time it's much more serious. The rewards are getting higher and higher all the time and I really want to make the cut. I'm going to get my head down and work hard over the next two days and see what I can do."

McGuire, who was due to be announced onto the tee at 3.48 this afternoon, was delighted to be among the late starters.

Playing alongside Japan's Naomichi Ozaki and Welsh amateur Matthew Griffiths, the Stoneleigh Deer Park professional looked set to enjoy the day's better weather and thought that would be a definite advantage if the forecasters were right.

"The wind has been pretty strong in the practice rounds," said McGuire who last played the course in 1993 when he took part in the Lytham Trophy before turning professional. He was due to practice with ball-pounding John Daly yesterday but changed his mind.

"I didn't want to be hitting first all the time," he quipped.

McGuire is officially listed as unattached in the starting line up here but maintains he is still very much involved with Stoneleigh Golf Club.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm still the professional there," said McGuire, who has been at the club for five years and has lived in Coventry for four.

"There was a bit of a disagreement between John Reay and myself - well, not so much a disagreement but John felt he needed somebody at the club a bit more regularly.

"I've been playing more this season on a number of the mini tours and in pro-ams and John wanted someone there in the shop and available for lessons. But I still give lessons and most people seem quite happy to fit in with what I'm doing."

As a qualifier McGuire had to make some hasty, last-minute arrangements. He managed to find some accommodation right next door to Blackpool's white knuckle ride the Pepsi Max, and has teamed up with 'Laughing Boy' an experienced tour caddy who was with Ken Brown for 20 years.

He also had to rearrange a game of golf with soccer pal Pearce.

"We have never played golf together," said McGuire, who was on the phone to Manchester City's assistant coach yesterday arranging a Lytham rendezvous.

"We've tried a number of times and something has always cropped up. We thought this would be a good week but I've had to cancel again!"